Posted to News on 24th Apr 2014, 12:27
Integrated XY ball-screw stages for high-precision motion
Aerotech's PlanarSL mechanical bearing, ball-screw-driven XY stages are said to offer exceptional performance in a cost-sensitive, low-profile package. Combining two axes of motion in a compact package, the PlanarSL is suitable for applications ranging from surface metrology to general high-precision automation.
The PlanarSL comes as standard with a precision-ground and preloaded ball-screw. Unlike competitive designs where the ball-screw is positioned on the side or off-centre, the PlanarSL ball-screw is engineered to drive directly through the centres of friction and stiffness, resulting in superior geometric performance and accuracy.
High-precision linear motion guide bearings provide excellent straightness and flatness with optimal support of the moving carriage over the entire XY travel. The PlanarSL structural elements have been optimised for excellent planar performance.
Unlike competitive designs using steel or glass scales with thermal expansion coefficients of 13ppm/degC and 8ppm/degC, respectively, the PlanarSL is available with low-thermal expansion (3.3ppm/degC) precision glass scales on both axes for high-accuracy, repeatable positioning over long periods of time. The linear encoder, available with amplified sine (1Vpp) or 0.1um TTL digital outputs, is mounted near the centres of action, again providing an optimised stage design for high-accuracy positioning.
The PlanarSL comes with a 24V DC bipolar stepper motor. Aerotech can also provide brushless and brushed DC motors with high-resolution rotary encoders preconfigured for use with Aerotech controls. A wide selection of state-of-the-art motion controllers is available, along with a suite of software and drive electronics, to provide cost and performance options to meet the needs of diverse applications.
Follow the link for more information on the PlanarSL mechanical bearing, ball-screw-driven XY stages.
